In Silico World: a workshop on Responsible Research & Innovation


One of the many goals of our project is to monitor the perception of computer modeling and simulation among the in silico trials community and to promote citizen trust in in silico technologies. We aim to achieve this via Responsible Research & Innovation activities.

The Life Sciences and Society Lab (KU Leuven) and the Virtual Physiological Human Institute (VPHi) organized a workshop on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) within the framework of the H2020 In Silico World project. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the possible ethical, legal, and societal barriers throughout the innovation process.

The workshop was held in Bologna, Italy, on April 19th, and brought together 40 experts from the different work packages and competence fields. It was a significant step in the developed RRI approach within the project, which seeks to contribute to the design of a responsible in silico medicine research and innovation strategy.

InSilicoWorld-PressRelease-RRI Workshop Group 1

InSilicoWorld-PressRelease-RRI Workshop Group 1

After a brief introduction to the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation, our KU Leuven and VPHi colleagues gave a presentation on the findings of the three conducted ISW focus groups in Leuven, Bologna, and Budapest between June 2022 and January 2023 – where public, patients, medical doctors, legal, social and policy experts, industry representants were invited to sit around a table with in silico researchers to discuss the ethical, legal, social, and technical implications of in silico medicine.

Participants then engaged in group conversations to discuss potential governance solutions for in silico medicine and were invited to reflect on what role they can play to overcome some of the identified barriers.

InSilicoWorld-PressRelease-RRI Workshop Group 3

InSilicoWorld-PressRelease-RRI Workshop Group 3

The discussions were lively and constructive, with participants sharing their experiences and insights on the opportunities and challenges of in silico medicine. Overall, the workshop provided an excellent platform for the ISW project members to engage in a meaningful dialogue on the ethical, legal, and societal dimensions of in silico medicine.

This is another big step after the focus groups held in Belgium, Italy and Hungary. It is crucial to give clear and correct information to all stakeholders on the opportunities and risks associated with the use of in silico trials technologies.